Sports
TVC-Hocking Power Rankings: Week 7
By: Kaleb Carter
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Well week 7 is here, and some questions still need answering in the TVC-Hocking. Trimble and Wahama still reign supreme – no surprises there. But some schools are in much better shape than they found themselves in 2012. Three teams have already eclipsed their win total from a season ago, while a couple programs with high expectations are struggling to stay around the .500 mark.
Here are your week 7 TVC-Hocking power rankings:
1.Trimble (6-0, 4-0 TVC-Hocking)
Trimble dismantled an overwhelmed Waterford Wildcats team in week six, winning 48-0. Riding one of the best defenses the TVC-Hocking has ever seen, the Tomcats are clawing their way through Hocking competition. A rather large group of 42 players (in a school with a male student enrollment of 110) is the pride of Glouster, having allowed 7 points in six games in the 2013 season. All 7 of those points came against conference rival Wahama, the reigning West Virginia Class A champs.
Player of the Year candidate and quarterback/defensive back Konner Standley leads a group of Tomcats that are among the best the state has to offer in Disivision VII. Guys like Justice Jenkins, Austin Downs, Bryce Smathers, and Jacob Koons have all contributed mightily on offense, and a strong defensive line helps grind out victories week in and week out. That front four will likely keep Trimble at the top of the rankings for the remainder of the season.
2. Wahama (5-1, 4-1 TVC-Hocking)
If one had done a set conference power rankings each of the last three years, the Wahama White Falcons would have sat at the top. That changed after a hard-fought week 2 defeat at the hands of Trimble. Not much else sits between Wahama and a one-loss record, and maybe even another state title.
Southern might have made for the toughest test on the White Falcons’ schedule after week 2, but coach Ed Cromley’s crew pulled out a solid 28-14 victory. Do-it-all back Kane Roush has 17 touchdowns on the season. Colton Neal is a bruiser, not only in the backfield but from his position as a linebacker. Transfer Hunter Bradley has filled in effectively at the quarterback spot. An experienced set of offensive lineman does not hurt either, as Wahama is averaging 35.8 points per game in the 2013 campaign.
3. Southern (5-1, 3-1 TVC-Hocking)
Southern’s band of brothers have contributed to the Tornadoes’ camaraderie, as the team from tiny Racine, Ohio, started 5-0 and launched up the Division VII rankings. The Tornadoes went into their week 6 home game against Wahama with confidence, but as has been the case many a time in the TVC-Hocking, the White Falcons prevailed.
Tyler Barton has been a workhorse running the ball, and the team already has more victories than a year ago. There’s no shame in a 5-1 start, and the Tornadoes still control their destiny in terms of a playoff berth. A well-deserved No. 3 is in order for coach Kyle Wickline’s squad.
4. South Gallia (4-2, 3-2 TVC-Hocking)
If Southern is not the surprise of the Hocking, well, it might just be the South Gallia Rebels. Talk of a stronger, more talented team in Crown City no longer falls on deaf ears. Jacob Smith and Ethan Spurlock continue to impress.
The Rebels already have two more wins than they did a season ago, and have very winnable games remaining on the schedule against Belpre, Waterford, and Van (W.Va.). Though they have yet to face Wahama, coach Jason Peck has the Rebels fighting hard – maybe even to playoff contention.
5. Federal Hocking (3-3, 2-2 TVC-Hocking)
High hopes for the Federal Hocking Lancers have not exactly panned out this season. Three wins and losses to start the season after expectations of a playoff birth is just a tough pill to swallow. The defense has shined in thrashings against Waterford and Hannan, but struggled against the likes of Alexander and South Gallia. Delbert Crum and Peyton Seel have been in good form, but their contributions have not been enough to repeat the team’s winning ways of 2012.
South Gallia took care of the Lancers in Crowne City a week ago, posting 57 points against a hapless Fed Hock defense. To give perspective, South Gallia did not score a single point against Federal Hocking a year ago. Coach Phill Hoffman has to get his guys in gear as they have yet to face Trimble or Wahama.
6. Belpre (2-4, 1-3 TVC Hocking)
A young, small and fast Golden Eagles team has had its share of ups and downs. Friday night, Belpre easily dispatched the struggling Eastern Eagles by a score of 36-6. The Golden Eagles roster has 24 players. Quarterback Tavian Miller has guided Belpre to a respectable level, fielding a competitive team despite the lack of depth and injuries to key weapons on offense. And Belpre is still 2-4, with an opportunity to improve that mark this week against South Gallia.
7. Eastern (2-4, 2-3 TVC-Hocking)
Even after losing 2012 quarterback Joe Scowden on top of several other important seniors, the Eagles still had high hopes for the current season. With weapons like Chase Cook and Dylan Bresciani alternating as signal-callers and Nic Barber plowing defenders over from the fullback position, they had reason to be optimistic as they ushered in the era of coach Doug Bresciani. At this point in the season last year, Eastern had their sights on the playoffs, but the same might not be said for this year. The Eagles are 2-4 with Trimble, Fed Hock and Southern remaining on the conference schedule. Things don’t get much easier from here on.
8. Miller (2-4, 0-4 TVC-Hocking)
Coming in at No. 8 is a Miller Falcons squad that has faced a titanic struggle in an attempt to put up points. One might think, didn’t Waterford defeat Miller? They did. But that was week 1, and since then Waterford has only managed 6 points. That is why the Falcons get the nod. On the bright side of things, Miller is allowing 26.2 points per game – a great improvement upon the 49.7 per game from a year ago. More good news: the falcons have already doubled their win total from 2012.
9. Waterford (1-5, 1-4 TVC Hocking)
Coach Tom Tucker knew it would be a rough go early on with a team fielding just around 20 players. Austin Lang leads a group of Wildcats that have had at least 40 points scored on them four times. Since dropping 20 points in a week 1 victory over Miller, the Wildcats have scored only once. Next up for Waterford: a trip to Franklin Furnace, Ohio, for a game against 2-4 Green High School.